A la Carte

Lainey is a seventeen-year-old chef determined to be the first African American vegetarian female celebrity chef. She works in her mother's restaurant and invents new recipes constantly. It's hard for me to remember the compelling plot -- a young adult drama of friendship, romance, and trust -- because my takeaway from this book is all the amazing food porn. Every chapter ends with a recipe, and I want to try most of them.

The fat politics are kinda-kinda. On the one hand, the characters all worry too much about Lainey's weight. On the other hand, their answer is making sure the decadent recipes use healthier ingredients, without sacrificing any of their food porn goodness. And she doesn't have any magical weight loss I can recall.

I loved this book. A stock YA relationship plot is livened up so wonderfully by the unusual conceit. We have too few books about black girls that aren't about race or poverty. And did I mention the food? ( )

The book started off seeming like an overly-descriptive food-themed soap opera. As the central conflict became clearer, however, the characters became more interesting, complex, and sympathetic. I ended up reflecting on my own life and choices as I read about Laine's. ( )